Fire extinguishers



Feb. 9, 1960 P. M. CARTER ETAL FIRE EXTINGUISHERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 30. 1955 M W m W m m M 9 7 0 /4 5 v D I 1 w .m Z .0 M M A..-

P. M. CARTER ETAL 2,924,280

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Feb. 9, 1960 Filed Dec. 50. 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR s PH/AL/P M. Capra? Bap/W51. NGPDQ W4 ATTORN EY Feb. 9, 1960 P.M. CARTER ETAL FIRE EXTINGUISHERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 50 1955INVEN TORS M 6/7975? United States Patent FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Philip M.Carter, Ossining, N.Y., and Daniel Nardoza, Keyport, N.J., assignors toLeeder Manufacturing Co. 'Inc., Keyport, N.J., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 30, 1955, Serial No. 556,720

3 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) This invention relates tofire extinguishers andmore specifically to the discharging, filling and indicating aspectsthereof.

In tank type fire extinguishing apparatus, employing either powder orliquids, where the fire extinguishing medium is held under pressure,that pressure must be maintained for extended periods of time so that itwill be present to expel the extinguishing medium instantaneously whenneeded. Thus, the valves employed must provide a positive andcontinually eflective seal to hold the pressure in the tank while beingcapable of instantaneous effective opening. Also, the valves and theactuating and mounting parts therefor must be capable of effective,intermittent operation and for closing, to positively prevent leakage ofpressure after each such operation.

Besides containing the valve, various passages for discharge andrecharge and for mounting other operating parts, the discharge head mustprotect all of them against the various possible causes of injury. Itmust protect them from damage resulting from striking external objects,it must protect the internal parts from the efiects of weather, and fromthe efliects of corrosive action, or other possible causes ofdeterioration that would in any way disturb the effective operation ofthe extinguisher. In addition, the discharge head and the portion of thetank to receive the same must be formed for removal and replacement ofthe discharge head and for effective sealing between the head and thetank when such replacement is effected.

The discharge head and the instrumentalities carried by it must beformed and related for ready assembly and disassembly should repairs andreplacement of parts,'or mere examination of them be necessary. It isalso desirable that the discharge head include provision for indicatingthe pressure in the tank at all times, without having to try out theextinguisher, and it is further desirable for the operating mechanism toinclude simple means for setting the rate of flow for the particularsize tank, and particular extinguishing medium.

Prior art extinguishers have failed to meet these needs in effectivemanner, though their constructions have involved highly complex andconsequently expensive ar, rangements. Moreover, by reason of thecomplication of prior art discharge heads and the valve and otherinstrumentalities carried thereby, maintenance and repair presentedsubstantial problems, not the least of these is'the need of specialtools and equipment for assembling, disassembling and adjusting thevarious structures.

The discharge head and related instrumentalities of the inventionovercomes the drawbacks of prior art constructions and incorporates anumber of advantages over 2 It is self adjusting and it is effective fordry chemicals or liquid materials. The reception of the valve by thehead, the provision for actuation of it, the provisions for preventingan unintentional actuation, and the protection.

only provide for fully effective discharge, but also ma-' teriallyfacilitate recharging.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to improveupon the construction and operation of discharging-filling heads forfire extinguishers.

Another object is to provide for such heads and th operatinginstrumentalities carried by the same which will operate in uniformfool-proof effective manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide operating mechanisms forfire extinguishers characterized by simplicity, ease of assembly anddisassembly and depen ability of operation over long periods of time.

Another object is to provide such mechanism which facilitates thefilling of the extinguisher and provides effective indication of thecondition inside of the extinguisher once it is filled.

Another object is to provide an improved valve for pressure type fireextinguishers adaptable for use with fire extinguishing mediums such asgases, liquids and powder.

Still another object is to provide an improved metering tube adaptablefor use with tanks of various sizes and for discharge of the fireextinguishing medium at the desired rate. i

A further object is the provision of a valve operating handle releasablysecured to the valve and adapted to function as a tool in the assemblyand disassembly of the valve elements.

A still further object resides in the provision of an improved safetylock for fire extinguishers to prevent accidental operation of theextinguisher.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will in part be obviousand in part be pointed out as the description of the invention taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fire extinguisher in accordance with theinvention showing the filler attachment applied to the discharge head.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the discharge head as shown in Fig. 1 butwith a discharge nozzle replacing the filler attachment.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the discharge head taken on the line 22 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 but with the operating handlein a depressed position to illustrate the opening of the control valve.

, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a portion of thedischarge head taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the valve operating handle andcontrol valve assembly per se to illustrate the manner in which theycooperate in the opera-. tion of the valve and the manner in which theoperating handle can be used as a Wrench in disassembling the valve formaintenance and repair.

Referring now to the drawings and more specifically to Figs. 1-4thereof, the discharge head is generally denoted by the numeral 10 andis arranged for suitableattachment to a tank 12 in which the fireextinguishing medium is retained under pressure. The term discharge headis used for ready reference todenot'e the Patented Feb. 9, i960 3housing applied to the top of the extinguisher tank and includes themechanism contained therein. Besidesthedischarge function, however, thehousing and its contained and applied instrumentalities perform otherfunctions such as sealing, facilitating the pressuring of the tank andindicating the pressure within the tank; Thus, the use of the termdischargehead must be considered asbeing for convenience of'referenceand not for purposes'oflimitation. l

The discharge head and. particularly the valve of the invention operateeffectively with pressures as low and as high as desired. Theremust be abalance of cubic inches of pressure perpound of chemical to be moved.Thus, the higherthe pressure, the more chemical canbe placed in a givensize chamber. As examples:

A 5 pound extinguisher, using the-discharge head of the invention,isfilled to roughly two thirds of its; total volume and is properly,pressurized to move the chemical under a pressure of approximately 150p.s.i. to l90 p.s.i. If 6 or 7 pounds were placed in the same chamber,pressures of 250 p;s.i. to 3 50-p.s;i; mightbe required toproperlypressurize the chamber andimove the chemical.

Welded. tanks. oribottles of the type illustrated and: V

utilizing a: powder. asthe extinguishing medium are generally approvedfor such usewhen the pressures are as. low as 1.70 to, 190 psi. Whenpowder, such as sodium bicarbonate, is employed, the head 10 is removedand each equipped with a nipple 15 for threaded engagement with thebottom end of the discharge head so that a After that, the head 101s,replaced and screwed i single valve may beutilized'for a wide variety ofshapes 7 and sizes of tanks. 12 andfor any dmired rate of dischargemerely by" providing the. proper sized tube; Though a welded tank typecontainer.- has been shown, itis noted as above indicatedthat the headandvalve of the. invention are effective for use with one-piece. highpressure bottles. Actual tests have shown that thehead and valve of theinventions are adaptable for. effective use with pressures of 350.pounds or even greater..

The discharge head10. and applied instrumentalities in accordance withthe invention comprisesix basic elements, namely, the valve housing 16,the valve andstem assembly 17, the operating handle 18, a fixed handle'19., a pressure gauge 20 and the locking device 21. The valve housing.16.-has an enlarged flange portion 22 from which a tubular part 23extendsndownwardly. The part 23 has external threads 24 andinternal'threads 25. The internal threads '25 receive an externallythreaded'adapter 1'5" carrying the discharge tube 13 which extendswithin the tank 12. ,Tubes of various diameters may be fitted toadapters such as 15 and thus be secured to the discharge head. While itis desirable to maintain a reasonably good seal between the adapter 15and the tubular extension 23, the normal seal provided by interlockingthreads has been found to be most satisfactory, though a gasket may beemployed if desired.

The external threads 24 are for engagement with a corresponding threadedopening in the receiving fitting on the top of the tank or bottle 12. Atight seal is made at this position by the use of a pair of 0 rings 26and 27 carried in suitable recesses 26' and 27' in the tubular part '23below the flange 22. The 0 ring 26 providesside wall gasketing. Itssliding action on the surface of the mated seat of the tank fittingwipes that surface clean in order to secure a more effective seal. The Oring 27,

. weather or otherwise ,fromleaking into the chamber'38.1

which when in position on the tank is wedged in the recess" 27' beneaththe-fiange 22 by a cooperating chambered surface on the tank fitting,provides an end or compression type gasketing. Either one of thesegaskets provides an effective seal, while the combination of the two ofthem provides insurance that, though the fitting carrying them isunscrewedandjreplaced, a sure pressuretight seal will be achieved. Moredetailed description of this structure and'thegasketing will-appear in asepa rate application ofthe instant applicants. directed to thesefeatures per se.

The outlet passage 28 of the valve. housing is provided with a taperedvalve seat 29 to receive and cooperate withthe valve 30 forming-part ofthe valve assembly 17. The upper end of the seat 29. terminates in acylindrical section 31 which has an opening 32 extendingout through theside thereof. This opening has an internally threaded mouth 33 forreception of a suitable nozzle34 (Figs. 2

.and 3). The nozzle 34 may be just that, or it may be a coupling for aflexible hose. In the case of powder type extinguishers wherein thepowder is loaded intoth'e' tank 12 which isthen closed'by theapplication: of thehousing 10 thereto, the: mouth 33 isused for theattachment of a gasinjection adapter 35 illustrated in cross section inFig. 1.

The valve. assembly 17 includes, in addition to the valve head. 30, avalve. stem. 36. extending. upwardly.

through an opening. 37in the. valve housing into an enlarged cylindricalchamber. 38' in the upper end of the housing 16. This chamber has a.pair of gaskets 39 and 40. seated on the bottomlthereof and snuglyembracing the valve stem. 36-. The upper end of the stem 36has acylindrical valve. operating; member 41 threadably. se-

cured to the upper end thereof. The member 41-.is;pro.-- vided on itsexterior with. a rounded operating, surface.

41'. A spring 43 isdisposed between a.fiange.44 on the valve operatingmember. 4Land. the gaskets 39 and 40 seated on the base of the chamber38. The spring 43 secures the: gaskets 39. and .40in. place on theirseat whileitsiprincipal.functionis to-urge the valve operating member:41 upwardly to put andLmaintainthe periphery,

of the valvexhead 30 incontact with the tapered wall.

29 to close'theyvalveo t The flange 44.slides with respect to the sidewall of the chamber 38. and the lower portion of the valve operatingmember 41 is guidedin the. chamber 38 by means of. an annular cap.45threaded onto the. upper end of the housing 16. The cap is centrallyperforated at 45', for the slidablereception. of the shank of the member41;. Thecap is sealed'to the housing bymeansof a gasket 47 and is,slidably. sealed withrespect to the shank of thevalve operatingmember 41by means'of an 0 ring; 48 disposed'iira recess formedaround theperforation 45f. ThistO ring servesas a guidetfor 1theshank of the.valveoperating member 41,and also as a seal against thatmernber forpreventing moisture, whether from the being operated, and preventmoisture, dust, dirt and other foreign particles from getting into. thevalve operating mechanism :or ontothe valve, duringstorage. In this waydependable and efiective valve 1 operation I is assured'even though thevalve is notzoperated for extendedperiodsof time. Thepressure within'thetank 12tends to supplement the action ,of.the:sp ring,48,in closingthevalve and thus-insures a more positive seal between the valve head i 30and thetapered cooperating wall 29-.

Thevalve 30 in the illustrated: embodiment of. them.- ventionis in the aform of 'two abutting cones with a. re.-

silient washer-"or ring 30"disposed about' the: center: Withthisstructurethe-resilient material 30 creates the initial seal with thetap eredopening part 29 with the upward motion being limited bycontactof theperiphery ofthe upper cone with the side walls of the taper 29. Intheevent the upward motion of the valve 30 in closmg br ngs the rim ofthe upper conical section in contact with the tapered walls 29 then theresilient material 30' is deformed under the action of the valve and thepressure of the gas in tank 12 to insure a positive and dependable seal.The action of the pressure supplements the action of the spring 43 inkeeping the valve closed tight. The details of this valve structure andthe advantages achleved by it are more fully set forth in applicantscompanlon application directed to the valve per se and filedconcurrently herewith.

The valve is opened by means of the handles 18 and 19, the latter beingpivotally attached at 49 to a lug 50 formed integrally with the valvehousing 16. The handle 19 has a stop portion 19' which comes intoengagement with the upper surface 50' of the lug 50 to limit upwardmovement of the handle to the position shown in Fig. 3. The handle 18 isin the shape of an L with the free end of the short leg 51 pivoted at 52to a lug 53 formed as an integral part of the housing 16 and onthe sidethereof opposite to the lug 50. The longer leg 54 of the handle 18 hasan actuating surface 54 which is formed for smooth engagement with thesurface 41 of the valve operating member 41 so that when the handle 18is depressed these surfaces ride smoothly on each other. The valveassembly 17 and the valve head 30 are moved downwardly against theaction, of the spring 43 and against the pressure in the tank 12 to openthe valve and permit the fire extinguishing medium to pass upwardly andoutwardly through the discharge opening 33.

The manner in which the handle 18 and the valve operating member 41cooperate is shown more clearly in Fig. 6. From this figure it will beobserved that the upwardly extending portion 55 of the valve operatingmember 41 is provided with a section having flattened sides 56 whosevertical extent is somewhat greater than the thickness of the leg 54 ofthe handle 18. This allows for some play between the handle 18 and themember 41, for reception of the legs of the locking member 21, as willbe explained hereinafter. An elongated slot 57 is formed in the leg 54to receive the portion 55. At the end of the slot 57 away from the leg51 it enlarges into a circular opening large enough to receive thecylindrical top of the portion 55 so that the latter can be insertedthrough the handle and then moved towards the short leg 51 with thesection having the flattened sides 56 being slidable within the slot 57.In order to shield the upper end 55 of the valve operating member 41against contact with extraneous objects while the extinguisher iswaiting to be used, the handle member 54 is provided with a pair of lugs59 at either side of the member 55 and which project up above it.

From the relationship between the member 55 and the handle 18 it will beseen that as the handle 18 is depressed to actuate the valve vertically,a sliding action takes place between the surface 41' of the head 55 andthe surface 54' of the handle 54. By reason of this action themechanical advantage increases as the handle lever is depressed sincethe fulcrum moves to the left as shown in Fig. 4 and enables theoperator to hold the valve assembly in the depressed position moreeasily. As will appear hereinafter, the handle 18, besides being anoperating member, is also used as a tool or wrench to facilitatedisassembly and assembly of the valve.

Another important feature of the discharge head in the invention residesin the relationship of the pressure gauge or meter 20 to the valvehousing 16. This is illustrated in Fig. from which it is seen that thevalve housing 16 includes a boss 60 having a threaded opening 61 thereinto receive the externally threaded bushing 62 forming part of the gauge20. The threaded recess 61 is slightly above the normal closed positionof the valve head 30 but is in communication with that portion of theconical opening 29 below the valve head 30 through a small orifice orpassageway 63. In this way the internal pres'surewithin the cylinder 12is continuously indicated by the meter 20 whether the valve is in theopen or closed position.

In order to prevent the valve from being accidentally A operated bydepression of, the handle 54, the safety de-' vice 21 is provided in theform of a clip 64 formed of suitable spring material such as springsteel or Phosphor bronze. The clip 64 is in the shape of a U with thelegs 65 and 66 having portions thereof arcuately formed as indicated at65' and 66 to engage the cylindrical body part of the valve operatingmember 41. The free ends 67 and 68 of the clip are bent outwardly tofacilitate the insertion of the clip about that body and between theunderside of the handle 18 and the top surface of the screw cap 45. Thepresence of this clip beneath the handle prevents accidental depressionof the handle and operation of the valve. The clip legs 65 and 66 neednot hold the handle 18 up tight since the fiat portions 56 on the valveoperating member 41 are somewhat longer than the thickness of the handleat its slotted position. This play or lost motion, between the handle 18and the member 41 is of importance for if there were none the likelihoodof unintentional opening or cracking of the valve would be too great.Any movement of the valve, even though quite minute, could cause loss ofpressure. Hence, the clip need only be wide enough to raise the handlesurface 54' out of contact with the surface 41' of the valve operatingmember.

Insertion and Withdrawal of the clip 64 is accomplished by grasping anenlarged outwardly extending ring 70 secured to the clip. The clip andring are preferably protected against loss by being connected to thebody of the valve by a chain or other suitable means.

To disassemble the valve and its operating elements the cotter pin 52'(Fig. 2) is removed from the pivot pin 52 and that pin is then withdrawnfrom the cooperating openings in the handle 18 and lug 53 of the body16. The handle 18 is then slid along until the opening 58 registers withthe portion 55, whereupon the handle can be lifted up and removed. Thecap 54 is then unscrewed from the valve body 16. After the cap 45 hasbeen removed, the handle is then reversed and reengaged with the valveoperating member 41 with its slot 57 engaging the flats 56. The shortleg 51 of the handle 18 ends upwardly, for use in unscrewing the member41 from the valve stem 36. When this has been done the spring 43 can belifted out while the valve head 30 and operating stem 36 are droppeddown and out of the valve housing 16. The reassembly of the valve in itshousing is, of course, accomplished in the reverse manner with the onlytool necessary to effect both assembly and disassembly being the handle18. Pliers or a wrench may, of course, be required to remove or applythe cap 45.

From the above it is apparent that this new and improved discharge headand applied instrumentalities provide a highly effective and dependablemechanism for fire extinguishers. They not only provide a secure andpermanent seal against the loss of pressure within the tank 12 butenable quick and easy total, or partial, discharge operation, withoutresultant leakage of pressure, upon Withdrawal of the clip 64 anddepression of the operating lever 18. Because of the simplicity of themechanism and structure and the utilization of a sealed chamber to housethe basic valve operating members, the presence of dust and dirt in thesurrounding atmosphere or even corrosive gages for extended periods oftime will not affect the ease of operation of the valve. In the event ofoxidation of the exposed portion of the valve operating member 41, theleverage provided by the handle 18 to operate the valve is more thansufiicient to overcome any interference. In addition, the pressurewithin the tank aids in maintaining the valve in closed position andassists the spring 43 in doing so.

Though in the foregoing description and accompanying drawing, specificstructure embodying the invention have been: shown. and; described, itis ofzcourseto be under-- stoodthat such showings are for illustrativeand not limiting purpose and that alternatives and variations thereof.

as suggest themselves to those skilled in the art could be employedwithout departing from the spirit andfscope of the. invention. 7 V

Speakingmore generally, since certain changes in carrying out the abovemethod and in the constructions set forth, which embody the invention,may be made with out departingfrom its scope, it is intended that allmat-- ter contained in the above description or shown in the.

a portion formed for engaging said seat in a metal, to

metal linecontact on the upward movement of said valve member withrespect to said seat, said valve member carrying a resilient packingelement below saidtengaging portion for contacting said seat below saidline to line contact, a stem extending upwardly from said valve member,an operating handle pivoted to said discharge head and formed for theoperation of said valve by a downward movement thereof, andinterengaging means between said valve stem and said handle fortranslating the movement of said handle to said valve, saidinterengaging means including means for precluding upwardmovement v 8 ofsaid. handle without. consequent upward movqnent' at saidvalvestemlwhereby when one lifts the fire extixt-vr guislier, includingsaidcontainer,,. by saidrhandle any load, 1

imposed upon, said valve? member willnbe' absorbed through said man; to.metal use; contact; therebyyrpro tecting said packing, element of' saidvalve. against injury.

2; Fire extinguisher constructio nl as imclanmr and said valve seat and,said valve member havingiconicaIsur-r faces inclinedin the samedirection, the incline of. the. cone :of said valve member being greaterthan thatof said valve seat, said valve memberbeing formedof metal'flmdsaid' resilient packing element being carried by said .val've memberbelowthe base of said cone and, extendingout a short distance beyondsaid base. 1,

3. Fire extinguisher construction as in claim v 1, said interengaging'means between said valve stem and handle including said handle beingrecessed for the reception of said valve stem, -said va1ve stem having aportion received in saidrecess and said portionbeing formed with a lat,

erally extending shoulder for engagement withfsaid handle at theside'of-said recess. l

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED" STATES PATENTS2,530,583 Nurkiewicz Nov. 21, 1950 2,644,313 Griggs: July 7, 1953'2,649,919 Weaver et a1. Aug. 5, 1953 2,667,225 Allen et a1 Jan. 26,1954' 2,704,582 Bowman Mar. 22, 1955' 3 2,743,079

Sills Apr. 24,

(the

